


In The Park

by goldarrow



Series: Slave!verse [6]
Category: Primeval
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Slavery, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 15:13:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20391760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldarrow/pseuds/goldarrow
Summary: Sidebar scene to "Family Matters".Why Stephen was in the park that day.





	In The Park

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Impossible Pictures.  
I make no profit and mean no harm.

Stephen was lying on the blanket with his hands cradling his head. Then, as if knowing Ryan was watching him, he arched his back in a stretch that allowed a small strip of his stomach to show between his light shirt and his trousers.

Ryan's mouth went dry, and he had to fight himself not to reach out and run a finger along the smooth skin.

"This is wonderful," Stephen said softly, eyes closing against the warm sunlight. "I haven't been to the park in years."

Giving in to temptation, Ryan placed his hand on Stephen's stomach. "How often do you get outside the A-R-C?" he asked.

Grinning, Stephen slitted his eyes over at Ryan, obviously completely aware of the effect he was having. "Not very often. We seldom do out-calls like this. I think the last time was about three months before you came, so about a year ago. And that was straight out and straight back."

"Is Sir James afraid you'll run?" Ryan upped the ante by sliding his hand in a small circle.

Stephen wriggled a little, tongue peeking out between his lips for a second. "No, not at all. He knows I won't. Besides, the collars can track us." He turned onto his side and rested his head on his fist, dislodging Ryan's hand. "He sometimes loses money on out-calls, so he only allows them for very important occasions."

That was a surprise. "How?"

Stephen reached out and ran his finger across Ryan's mouth. "The length of time it takes for us to get to the client's place and get back again uses time we could be earning."

"I'm surprised he doesn't charge extra for out-calls."

That garnered a one-shoulder shrug and the flip of an eyebrow. "He does, but sometimes it doesn’t work out. He stopped going by exact time a few years ago when there was a spate of accidents that caused massive transit slow-downs. Too many important people got hit with substantial travel fees that they didn’t appreciate." He started running his hand down Ryan's neck and along his shoulder. "Now it's based on the usual travel time, but a problem on the Tube or the buses running late can throw out the schedule and cost him, so he doesn’t like to take the chance."

Ryan caught Stephen's wandering fingers and kissed the tip, watching the cobalt eyes start to dilate. "And this, today?" He wondered how far they could take their flirtation without adverse reactions from either the park police or the other patrons. 

Stephen seemed to be turning into a mind-reader, as he sat up and leaned over Ryan to whisper in his ear. "This hour is a reward. For both of us. My client was one of the most powerful men in town, and one of the most difficult to please, so there's a reward for me. And you've been exemplary, so there's a reward for you."

"Exemplary?" Feeling his mouth drop open in mingled arousal at the whisper and surprise at the word, Ryan barely managed to speak.

"Exemplary," Stephen stated firmly. "Not just today, but since we've been together." Stephen nipped Ryan's earlobe. "You've been there for me, every day, but you've allowed me to do my job without any interference or even any sour looks."

Fighting a grin, Ryan squeezed his eyes shut. "I don't do sour looks," he insisted.

Stephen's grin came through his tone of voice. "You could curdle milk if you tried, Tom."

"Ha ha," Ryan responded with great maturity, then his lips twitched and he met Stephen's gaze. "And on the subject of allowing you to do your job, I just followed some good advice from a friend."

Expression intrigued, Stephen cocked his head. "What was it?"

Ryan sat up, pulling Stephen along with him. "He asked me if you were a carpenter, would I hate it if you made a cabinet for someone else?"

Stephen's face blanked for a second as he processed that. "Huh. That makes an odd kind of sense."

"Exactly. So, you do your job at work, I do my job at work, and when we're not at work, we belong to each other." He shrugged. "Sorted."

Stephen's brilliant eyes narrowed in thought, and his teeth scraped his lower lip. "Let me guess, it was Lyle who told you?"

Ryan laughed out loud. "Got it in one. How did you know?"

Stephen pushed Ryan back down onto his back again and shuffled around until he could rest his head on Ryan's shoulder. "The good sense hidden under the flippancy. From something Sir James said, that seems to be Lyle's trademark."

"Sir James is pretty smart, too," Ryan responded, stroking his hand up and down Stephen's arm, feeling the skin roughen behind his movement.

Stephen shrugged. "He wouldn't be where he is if he weren’t. The A-R-C is the premier House in town, if not in the country, and Sir James made it."

"I thought he inherited it."

Twisting until he was on his side, Stephen draped an arm across Ryan's belly. "Yes, but it was just good when he got it. He's made it great." His grip tightened. "And, Tom, that's starting to be a problem. We hear things in our rooms sometimes, things we probably shouldn’t." He sighed, breath blowing across Ryan's chest. "Sir James is making enemies. Business enemies, and personal ones."

Ryan took note of the change in Stephen's mood and wrapped his free hand around Stephen's fingers. "Business I can understand - he has one hell of a ruthless side. But personal? What does that have to do with the A-R-C?"

Shivering a little, Stephen whispered, "His ex-wife, Helen. She's been talking to people."

Ryan ran his hand up and down Stephen's back comfortingly. "I heard he'd just got divorced when I started there. It was bad, then?"

Stephen snuggled close. "Yes. They never really got along too well. Both too strong, I think. Her first husband, Nick Cutter, disappeared after they'd been married less than a year. She managed to have him declared dead only a year later."

"How the fuck?"

"No one knows how. I heard something about some bones being found. I'm not sure. But he'd been a really good customer, one of my first regulars." Stephen grimaced. "Not long after Nick was declared dead she made a set at Sir James. He'd just broken up with his long-term lover, and she swept him off his feet, as the saying goes."

Ryan fought back a vague feeling of nausea. "I find that very difficult to envision."

Stephen's chuckle vibrated through Ryan's torso. "Me, too, but that's the way he described it to Lady Martha when she asked him one day exactly what he'd ever seen in Helen Ambrose Cutter."

"From what I've see of Lady Martha, that's something I can see her saying."

His hair tickling Ryan's chest as he nodded, Stephen went on, "Helen was at a loose end, and Sir James was becoming very successful, completely concentrated on the business. I think she reckoned he'd make lots of money and give her free rein to do whatever she wanted."

Ryan snorted. "She was a fool. I can't see Sir James handing over control like that."

"Me either. At first, he pretty much let her go her length, then once he saw how far she was actually willing to go, he pulled her up short." Stephen raised his head to look into Ryan's eyes. "She hated it."

"She sounds a winner," Ryan grumbled. 

Stephen's lips tightened. "She's a bitch. The saddest thing is that she didn’t really need his money. Her family has owned an electronics business for three generations." His eyes widened and he sat up abruptly. "Oh, shit. Her brother Joseph was the CEO of the company when she and Sir James married, so she didn't have any control over her family's money. Then Joseph died in a boating accident about four months before the divorce, and Helen's now CEO at Ambrose Industries. Shit. Do you think…"

Ryan interrupted, seeing how upset Stephen was getting. "I don’t think anything. Sounds like thinking's not a good idea in this case." He reached out and cradled Stephen's cheek in his palm. "Leave it, Stephen. Even if it's true, it doesn’t affect us, and if it does start to affect the A-R-C, Lester will take care of it."

Relaxing again, Stephen met his eyes with a nod. "Yes. Yes, he will. Of course. You're right. Besides, this isn’t the time to worry about shit like that. We have half an hour left. Let's enjoy it." 

"Mmmmm," Ryan replied, pulling him back down onto the blanket. "Lie down, love. Blue sky, white clouds, green grass, warm sun and cool breeze. Can't get any better."

"Not to mention being here with you." Stephen snuggled close. "I love you, Tom."

"Love you too, blue-eyes," Ryan managed to whisper around a yawn. He was starting to drift off when Stephen's excited voice brought him back.

"Bloody hell, that cloud looks just like a Tyrannosaurus rex! Look, Tom, isn’t that super?"

"Mm-hmmm," Ryan mumbled intelligently.

Stephen snorted elegantly. "You didn’t even look."

Ryan hummed, not bothering to respond as he realised Stephen's excitement hadn’t signalled some danger. He felt as if he was relaxing completely for the first time in weeks. Being here, basically alone with Stephen, just the two of them, he could feel his need to be in control, to be on watch, on guard, slipping away. He squeezed Stephen tight for a moment, then drifted off with Stephen's accepting chuckle in his ear.

A few minutes later, Ryan felt lips on his in a quick kiss before Stephen spoke again. "Wake up, Tom. We have to go in a few minutes. I need a slash. I'll be right back." He stood, stretched again, grinned at Ryan's gobsmacked expression, and sauntered off down the path.

But he didn't come right back, and Ryan couldn’t help but start worrying, so he gathered their things and went after him. Ryan turned the corner of the path to see Stephen on his knees surrounded by park police and a woman he didn’t recognise. 

Ryan dropped everything and headed for them at speed. Something was wrong. Badly wrong.

Fin


End file.
